Transcription of Social Skills CONVERSATION SKILLS - MIRECC/CoE Home
1 Social SKILLS CONVERSATION SKILLS Listening to Others Starting a CONVERSATION with a New of Unfamiliar Person Maintaining Conversations by Asking Questions Maintaining Conversations by Giving Factual Information Maintaining Conversations by Expressing Feelings Ending Conversations Entering into an Ongoing CONVERSATION Staying on the Topic Set by Another Person What to Do When Someone Goes Off the Topic Getting Your Point Across What to Do When You Do Not Understand What a Person is Saying Social SKILLS Listening to Others Step 1. Maintain eye contact. Step 2. Nod your head. Step 3. Say uh-huh or ok Step 4. Repeat what the person said. Social SKILLS Starting a CONVERSATION with a New or Unfamiliar Person Step 1. Choose the right time and place. Step 2. If you do not know the person, introduce yourself.
2 If you know the person, say Hi. Step 3. Choose a topic that you would like to talk about OR ask a question. Step 4. Judge whether the other person is listening and wants to talk. Social SKILLS Maintaining a CONVERSATION by Asking Questions Step 1. Greet the person. Step 2. Ask a question about something you would like to know about. Step 3. Judge whether the person is listening and is interested in pursuing the CONVERSATION . Social SKILLS Maintaining a CONVERSATION by Giving Factual Information Step 1. Greet the person. Step 2. Share some information about a topic you would like to discuss. Step 3. Judge whether the other person is listening and is interested in pursuing the CONVERSATION . Social SKILLS Maintaining a CONVERSATION by Expressing Feelings or Opinions Step 1. Greet the person. Step 2.
3 Make a brief statement about how something makes you feel. Step 3. Judge if the person is listening and is interested in continuing the CONVERSATION . Examples of feeling words: Glad Worried Relieved Disappointed Happy Angry Excited Sad Social SKILLS Ending Conversations Step 1. Wait until the other person has finished talking. Step 2. Use a non-verbal gesture such as glancing away or looking at your watch. Step 3. Make a closing comment, such as well, I really need to go now. Step 4. Say good-bye. Social SKILLS Entering into an Ongoing CONVERSATION Step 1. Wait for a break in the flow of the CONVERSATION . Step 2. Say something like May I join you? Step 3. Decide whether the people engaged in the CONVERSATION are OK with your joining in. Step 4. Say things related to the subject of the CONVERSATION .
4 Social SKILLS Staying on the Topic Set by Another Person Step 1. Decide what the topic is by listening to the person who is speaking. Step 2. If you do not understand what the topic is after listening, ask the person. Step 3. Say things related to the topic. Social SKILLS What to Do When Someone Goes Off the Topic Step 1. Say something like That s interesting; can we talk about that after we finish this discussion? Step 2. If the person has forgotten what the topic is, politely remind him or her. Step 3. Judge whether the other person is still interested in the original topic. Step 4. If the other person is interested, continue the discussion. If he or she is not interested, politely end the CONVERSATION or talk about something new. Social SKILLS Getting Your Point Across Step 1. Decide on the main point you want to get across.
5 Step 2. Speak in short sentences and stay on the topic. Step 3. Pause to let the other person speak or ask questions. Step 4. Answer any questions. Social SKILLS What to Do When You Do Not Understand What a Person is Saying Step 1. Tell the person that you are confused or that you did not understand what was said. Step 2. Ask the person to repeat or explain what was just said. Step 3. Ask further questions if you still do not understand.
